The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-05-24
Long Reigns.


public interest throughout the civil
lied world, is an event as noteworthy
as it is rare 1t is especially worthy
of notice in the case of a Sovereign
whose character is so virtuous and
whose reign has been so prosperous
as that of our much-loved Queen.
1t is not, however, with this aspect of
the question that we propose to deal
at present, but to place before our
readers a view of some of the longest
reigns recorded in history Few
monarchs. indeed, have swayed the
scepter for half a century the period
now all but attained by Queen Vic
teria, with the prospect, humanity
speaking, of adding many more years
to that number, and evenly if we take
forty years as the limit, the list will
not be found overwhelmingly long
Beginning with sacred history, we
find that Saul reigned over Israel for
forty years, from the time of his
selection at Mizpah to that disastrous
day when he and his three sons, to-
gether with many of the mighty men
of Israel, fell down slain on Mount
Gilboa." David, his successor, reigned
also forty years, seven of them in
Hebron, as King of Judah, and thirty
three IN Jerusalem over all Israel,
while his son Solomon's reign came
short of that period by one year.
After the partition of the kingdom
into two, we find that of the Kings OF
Judah, Asa, Joash and Uzziah, occu-
pied the throne of David for forty
one, forty, and forty-two years re
spectively. These are numbered
among the good Kings, while Manas-
seh's wicked reign lasted for the long
space of ffty-fve years. OF the
Kings of ten tribes, Jeroboam II.
ruled in Samaria forty-one years, and.
like his namesake, the son of Nebat,
he did evil in the sight of the Lord,
but was in other respects capable
ruler.
Turning from sacred history to pro
fame. and looking first at the great
empires of antiquity. we find that in
the seventh century (B. g., Deioces
reigned over the Modes for tifty-three
years, during which he built the once
famous city of Ecbatana, while Gar
ares, the next but one in succession,
reigned forty years 1t was he who
overthrow Nineveh's efeminate ruler.
Sardanapalus. The neighboring realm
of Persia was governed the same
length of time by Artaxerxes L.
(Longimanus) whose immediate pre-
decessor and successors, it is interest
ing to note, occupied the throne for
seven months and two months re
spectively. Artazerxes II. enjoyed
the royal title for forty-six years.
Esarhaddon. the son of Sennacherib,
was master Of the Assyrian Empire
for forty-nine years, and the cele-
brated Nebuchadnezzar, during 4 rule
Of forty three years duration. raised
the kingdom and city of Babylon to
their highest glory Alyattas, the
second last King OF Lydia, and pre-
decessor OF Croesus, reigned over that
country for the long period Of fifty
seven years.
A romantic episode in Egyptian
history is related by Herodotus Sa
baco. or Sebichos. the first Of the
twenty-ffth dynasty, quilted the
country Of his own accord, after
ruling it for half a century, and on
his departure, the previous King,
Anysis, who had been hiding all that
time. came forward and finished his
reign thus strangely interrupted,
Later on We have Psammetichus oc-
cupying the throne of the Pharaohs
forty three years, and Amasis for
forty four.
The republican institutions which
largely prevailed throughout ancient
Greece made the number of its States
having Kings to be somewhat small,
and even where the first magistrate
bore the kingly title, his chances of a
long reign were sadly minimized by
by the internicine wars so continually
being waged. Agesilaus, one of the
greatest and best of the sons OF
Sparta, was King over that warlike
State for thirty seven years and
Philip V, the ally of Hannibal
against the Romans, ruled Macedonia
for four years longer.
OF the Kings Of ancient Rome,
Numa Pompilius wore the diadem
forty-three years, Servius Julius ex
ceeding that period by one year.
The Roman Empire, merging as it
4 afterwards did into the Holy Roman
y Empire, forms the connecting link
between ancient and modern history.
Augustus wore the imperial purple
for forty one wears. a period reached
by none of his successors for a thous
and years, until Henry ". the
Great, who was Emperor for exactly
half a century. After another long
interval-nearly five hundred years
the famous Charles Y. abdicated. after
swaying the destlnies of the Empire
for nearly thirty-nine years, while
Leopold l., one OF the subsequent
Emperors. bore the title for forty
seven years.
The Popes We're closely connected
4 with the Emperors, bat only six Of